The Ajo Mountain Loop is a roughly 21-mile (34 km) circular route that starts in front of the visitor center. Few people visit, allowing you to fully enjoy the natural beauty of the National Monument. You can stop your car and walk the trails. The road is an unpaved one-way route, and the loop takes longer to complete than expected. It’s a good idea to decide in advance where to stop. Be cautious if relying on a smartphone, as there’s almost no signal.
Since I’m just scouting, I don’t go too deep.
There are campsites nearby, but no towns. I had booked accommodation in Ajo through Airbnb, so I headed there for check-in and a rest. It’s about 36 miles (58 km) away, but continuing in my current condition would be tough.
A pair of Curve-billed Thrashers were building a nest on the property of my accommodation.This Desert Cottontail is small, and you can spot many of them along the roadside during the cool early morning and around sunset.This is another larger rabbit with very long ears. I’ve seen it in California as well. Black-tailed Jackrabbit.Finally, it’s starting to look like sunset.There are several other types of cacti growing naturally. Teddy Bear Cholla.Cacti are holding up their flowers everywhere.There are hardly any people around, but by this time, I’m completely alone.When you look at it compressed like this, doesn’t it seem more like a “forest of cacti” rather than a desert?The border is also growing dark.Double Arch. There’s a smaller arch on top of the larger arch on the left side of the rocky mountain.After the sun had almost set, I finished scouting the planned spots and unexpectedly captured this shot. I like the cluster of Teddy Bear Cholla and the soft light.Despite the limited time, I managed to explore well. After completing a second loop, I returned to my accommodation.
